Pressure applying devices for the upper rollers of fibre drafting apparatus



bet. 2, 1962 PRESSURE APPLYING DEVICES FOR THE UPPER ROLLERS Filed June 10,

G FUSAROLI 3,056,175

OF FIBRE DRAFTING APPARATUS 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 2, 1962 G. FUSAROLI 3,056,175

PRESSURE APPLYING DEVICES FOR THE UPPER ROLL s OF FIBRE DRAFTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 10, 1959 Oct. 2, 1962 G. FUSAROLI 3,056,175

PRESSURE APPLYING DEVICES FOR THE UPPER ROLLERS 0F FIBRE DRAFTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 10, 1959 Oct. 2, 1962 G. FUSAROLI 3,056,175

PRESSURE APPLYING DEVICES FOR THE UPPER ROLLERS 0F FIBRE DRAFTING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 10, 1959 United States Patent Ofitice 3,056,175 Patented Oct. 2, 1962 3,056,175 PRESSURE APPLYING DEVICES FOR THE UPPER ROLLERS F FIBRE DRAFTING APPARATUS Golfredo Fusaroli, Via Lancetti 29, Milan, Italy Filed June 10, 1959, Ser. No. 819,411 Claims priority, application Italy June 21, 1958 6 Claims. (Cl. 19-267) It is known to smooth-out and increase the suppleness of fibre slivers by subjecting them to a number of drawing or attenuating operations. To this end, the sliver is passed through pairs of cylinders or drafting rolls, of which the lower cylinders are rotatably driven, while the upper cylinders are free to rotate and exert a pressure on the sliver so that the latter may assume, at least in theory, a speed equal to the peripheral speed of the lower cylinders.

The pressure that is required to be applied by the upper cylinders can be provided either through the actual weight of the cylinders or through other means. It is necessary for such pressure to be properly distributed between the several upper cylinders.

It is an object of this invention to provide mechanism for exerting a pressure on those upper operative cylinders, which have been hitherto urged against the lower driving cylinders only by the component of their weight which is in the direction toward the lower cylinders and thus varies with the slope of the plane tangential to the upper and lower drafting cylinders at the line of contact therebetween, that is, the plane in which the drawing or attenuating is performed, and to effect the application of such pressure without requiring any modification in the means applying pressure to the other upper cylinders feeding the fibres to the drawing stage.

It is a well-known fact that, in drafting or attenuating apparatus, where the pressure on the upper feeding cylinders is provided through levers or other arrangements extending above the plane in which the drafting is performed, such levers or other arrangements prevent the application of an arm exerting a pressure on the upper intermediate operative cylinders, or at least make it difficult to employ a pressure exerting arm.

Another object of the invention is to make it possible to employ a pressure exerting arm for the upper operative cylinders in spite of the above-mentioned difiiculty, by providing an arrangement in which the movement of the arm from its pressure-exerting position to its inoperative position requires merely the rocking of the arm through a small angle.

Upper drafting rollers are also known which are pro vided with elastic covers or which are internally recessed, so as to provide complete driving engagement with the fibres; an example of such rollers is disclosed in US. Letters Patent No. 2,862,250, wherein the roller includes an elastic sleeve fitted over a core which, at the ends of the sleeve, has two cylindrical sections of a diameter larger than that of the central section. Such end sections of the core are capable of exerting a pressure, through the two ends of the sleeve, on the underlying roller, with a view to avoiding any relative sliding of the upper and lower rollers, while the central section of the elastic sleeve, which is not in contact with the central section of the core, applies a mild pressure on the sliver. A further object of the present invention is to provide means for obtaining such a result.

According to an aspect of my invention, there is provided a pressure applying mechanism including a member secured to the frame of the drafting or attenuating apparatus and containing a spring acting on an arm which is pivotally secured to the member and adapted to exert a spring developed pressure on the upper sliver-engaging cylinders or rollers, the action of the spring being transmitted to the pivoted arm by way of a device which provides the desired spring developed pressure when the pivoted arm is in its operative position where it acts on the upper cylinders or rollers, but which reliably retains the pivoted arm in an inoperative position free of the upper cylinders, such inoperative position being angularly displaced from the operative position by only a relatively small angle, whereby the pivoted arm can be installed within a comparatively resticted area of a fibre drawing or attenuating apparatus.

I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings several embodiments of the invention, which are presented merely by way of example.

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section of the arrangement applied to a drafting or attenuating apparatus of which only certain parts are illustrated.

FIG. 1A is a detail sectional view taken along the line A-A on FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but showing a similar arrangement applied to another machine.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show further modifications of the arrangement.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and initially to FIG. 1 thereof, it will be seen that the drafting or attenuating apparatus to which the present invention is there applied generally includes rotatably driven lower rollers or cylinders 15, 16 and 17 and freely rotatably upper rollers or cylinders 12, 13 and 14 respectively cooperating therewith to effect drawing or attenuating of fibre slivers which are fed between the cooperating upper and lower cylinders. The upper rollers or cylinders 13 and 14 are preferably of the type disclosed in US. Letters Patent No. 2,862,250, and, as shown in FIG. 1A with reference to cylinder 13, each includes a core 13 with relatively large diameter end portions and a relatively smaller diameter central portion, and an elastic sleeve 13" on the core so that, when the upper cylinders 13 and 14 are pressed against the related lower rollers or cylinders 16 and 17, the pressure is mainly transmitted through the end portions of each upper cylinder to insure frictional drive of the latter from the related lower cylinder, while the control portions of the upper cylinder and the related lower cylinder provide a light pressure for driving the slivers therebetween. The illustrated apparatus further includes an arm 2!? mounted on a support 22 and extending over the upper cylinders 12, 13 and 14 to bear downwardly against a relatively large upper cylinder 23 which is pressed against a corresponding lower cylinder with a force which is adjustable by manipulation of the mechanism 21.

The above mentioned parts of the drawing or attenuating apparatus are conventional in the latter, and it will be apparent that only a limited space exists under the arm 20 for accommodating a mechanism by which upper cylinders 13 and 14 may be pressed downwardly against the corresponding lower cylinders 16 and 17. In accordance with the present invention, the mechanism for exerting the desired downward pressure upon cylinders 13 and 14, and which is entirely accommodated within such limited space under the arm 20, includes a hollow cylindrical member 1 which is suitably secured to the support 22 and extends generally horizontally from the latter under arm 20. The cylindrical member 1 opens axially in the direction toward the cylinder 13 and 14, and contains a helical compression spring 2 having its opposite ends seated in caps 3 and 4 which are axially slidable within hollow cylindrical member 1.

Spring 2 tends to axially displace cap 4 out of the open end of cylindrical member 1, and cap 4 is formed with a central projection 5. An arm 6 is pivotally mounted, adjacent one end, on a pin 7 carried by the hollow cylindrical member 1 at a location adjacent the open end of the latter, but below the longitudinal axis of spring 2 so that the force exerted by the latter acts along a line disposed above pivot 7.

The end of arm 6 remote from cylindrical member 1 carries a pivot pin 8 on which a pressure distributing member 9 is centrally mounted, and the pressure distributing member 9 is adapted to bear downwardly, at locations adjacent its opposite ends, against round 01' polygonal projections 19 extending from the spindles which rotatably carry the corresponding upper cylinders or rollers 13 and 14.

The end of arm 6 adjacent cap 4 carries a laterally extending axle 1t? rotatably supporting a small roller 11, and the axle It is located so that, when arm 6 is in its operative position, as shown in full lines on FIG. 1, roller 11 centrally engages the projection 5 of cap 4, whereby the force of spring 2 acts through projection 5 of cap 4- and through roller 11 to exert a torque on arm 6 tending to turn the latter in the clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, and thereby applying a pressure, by way of distributing member 9, to the upper cylinders or rollers 13 and 14 for urging the latter against the corresponding rotated lower cylinders 16 and 17.

When it is desired to remove the above mentioned spring established pressure from upper rollers or cylinders 13 and 14, it is only necessary to pivot arm 6 upwardly through a small angle to the inoperative position illustrated in broken lines on FIG, 1. Such small angular displacement to the inoperative position is made necessary by the limited space available under arm Ztl and, with such small angular displacement of arm 6, the roller 11 engaged by cap 4 still has its axis disposed above pivot pin 7 of arm 6 so that the force of spring 2 still tends to return the arm 6 to its operative position. However, the small angular displacement of arm 6 to its inoperative position is sufiicient to remove roller 11 from the center of projection 5 to a position below the latter, whereby projection 5 and roller 11 now cooperate to form a detent which yieldably resists movement of the arm 6 from its inoperative position to the operative position. The arm 6 can be returned to its operative position from the inoperative position only by exerting a positive force downwardly on arm 6 sutficient to overcome the resistance of spring 2 to the inward displacement of cap 4 accompanying the movement of roller 11 from the broken line position below projection 5 to the full line position where roller 11 engages the center of projection 5.

From the above, it will be apparent that the mechanism for exerting the downward pressure on rollers or cylinders 13 and 14 is capable of manipulation to an inoperative position within the limited space under arm 20, and that this desirable characteristic of the mechanism is achieved with a simple structure.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be seen that the mechanism embodying the present invention for applying pressure to the upper rollers or cylinders of a drafting or attenuating apparatus may be applied to an apparatus of a type different from that illustrated in FIG. 1. In the arrangement of FIG. 2, the various parts of the drafting or attenuating apparatus and of the pressure applying mechanism are identified by the same reference numerals as have been employed in connection with the descriptin of the corresponding parts of the arrangement illustrated in FIG. 1, but with the letter a appended thereto, and the operation of the pressure applying mechanism of FIG. 2 is generally similar to that of the mechanism described in connection with FIG. 1. Further, in the mechanism of FIG. 2, the pivot pin 8a carried by the arm 6a and providing the connection between the latter and the pressure distributing member 9a is received in a vertically elongated slot in the latter, thereby to increase the angle through which pressure distributing member 9a can be displaced relative to pivoted arm 6a. Further, in the mechanism of FIG. 2, the hollow cylindrical member 4. 1a, which is carried by a support 101, is shown to have its longitudinal axis inclined from the horizontal in order to demonstrate the fact that the operation of the pressure applying mechanism embodying this invention is independent of the position of the hollow cylindrical member and of the spring contained therein. It will also be seen that the cap 3a which receives one end of the spring 2a in FIG. 2 bears against an adjustment screw 25 extending axially through the end of cylindrical member 1a remote from cap 4a so that rotation of screw 25 serves to axially displace cap 3a and thereby permits adjustment of the force exerted by spring 2a for applying upper rollers or cylinders 13a and 14a against the corresponding rotated lower rollersor cylinders 16a and 17a.

Referring now to FIG. 3, wherein the pressure applying mechanism embodying this invention is shown applied to still another type of drafting or attenuating apparatus and has its several parts identified by the same reference numerals employed in identifying the corresponding parts of the previously described embodiments, but with the letter 12 appended thereto, it will be seen that the drawing or attenuating apparatus illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 3 requires the mounting of the hollow cylindrical member 1b with its axis inclined by an acute angle from the vertical. Further, the pressure applying mechanism of FIG. 3 has a handle 24 provided adjacent the free end of pivoted arm 6!), and by which the latter can be conveniently manually raised to its inoperative position. It will also be seen that, in FIG. 3, an additional pressure distributing member 26 extends from arm 6b and is engageable with the projection of the upper roller or cylinder 12b to apply a pressure to the latter, while the pressure distributing member 9b serves to apply pressure to the upper rollers 0r cylinders 13b and 14b, as in the previously described embodiments.

Finally, FIG. 4 of the drawings illustrates the application of a pressure applying mechanism embodying this invention to still another type of drawing or attenuating apparatus which is only diagrammatically illustrated therein, and which requires the arrangement of the hollow cylindrical member 10 with its axis extending vertically. The various parts of the pressure applying mechanism of FIG. 4 are identified by the same reference numerals employed in connection with the corresponding parts of the previously described embodiments, but with the letter 0 appended thereto.

Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein without departing from the sc pe or spirit of the invention, exce t as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a fibre sliver attenuating apparatus; the combination of rotated lower cylinders; upper cylinders disposed above said lower cylinders to engage the fibre slivers passed therebetween; and mechanism for exerting a pressure on said upper cylinders urging the latter against the corresponding lower cylinders, said mechanism including an arm which is pivotally mounted adjacent one end for swinging movement through a small angle between an operative position and an inoperative position, a pressure distributing member carried by said arm adjacent the other end of the latter and engageable with said upper cylinders in said operative position of the arm, a spring, a force transmitting member movable by said spring along a path that is offset with respect to the axis of pivoting of said arm and having a projection extending therefrom in the direction of said path, and force transmitting means on said arm centrally engaging said projection in said operative position of the arm so that the force of said spring then produces a pivoting torque on said arm to exert a pressure on said upper cylinder by way of said distributing member, said force transmitting means riding oiT said projection in said inoperative position of said arm so that the engagement of said projection with said force transmitting means yieldably resists return of said arm to said operative position by the force of said spring.

2. In a fibre sliver attenuating apparatus; the combination as in claim 1, wherein said force transmitting means is a roller rotatably mounted on said arm at said one end of the latter.

3. In a fibre sliver attenuating apparatus; the combination as in claim 1, further including adjustable means acting on said spring to vary the force exerted by the latter.

4. In a fibre sliver attenuating apparatus; the combination of rotated lower cylinders; upper cylinders disposed above said lower cylinders to engage the fibre slivers passed therebetween; and mechanism for exerting a pressure on said upper cylinders urging the latter against the corresponding lower cylinders, said mechanism including an arm which is pivotally mounted adjacent one end for swinging movement through a small angle between an operative position and an inoperative position, a pressure distributing member centrally pivoted on said arm adjacent the other end of the latter and being engageable adjacent the opposite ends of the pressure distributing member with said upper cylinders in said operative position of the arm, and spring actuated means alternatively effective to yieldably urge said other end of the arm toward said upper cylinders, when said arm is in said operative position, thereby to exert a pressure on said upper cylinders by Way of said distributing member, and to yieldably retain said arm in said inoperative position.

5. In a fibre sliver attenuating apparatus; the combination as in claim 4, wherein said arm carries a pivot pin adjacent said other end and said pressure distributing member has an elongated slot receiving said pivot pin to efiect the pivotal mounting of said pressure distributing member on said arm and provide additional freedom of relative movement of said arm and distributing memher.

6. In a fibre sliver attenuating apparatus; the combination of rotated lower cylinders; upper cylinders disposed above said lower cylinders to engage the fibre slivers passed therebetween; and mechanism for exerting a pressure on said upper cylinders urging the latter against the corresponding lower cylinders, said mechanism including an arm which is pivotally mounted adjacent one end for swinging movement through a small angle between an operative position and an inoperative position, a pressure distributing member carried by said arm adjacent the other end of the latter and engageable with said upper cylinders in said operative position of the arm, a fixed hollow cylindrical member, a helical compression spring in said cylindrical member, a plunger axially slidable in said cylindrical member and being urged by said spring in one direction, a projection extending axially from said plunger, said cylindrical member having its axis ofiset with respect to the pivoting axis or" said arm, and a roller on said arm at said one end thereof engaging the center of said projection in said operative position thereof to receive the force of said spring from said plunger so that said force of the spring yieldably urges said other end of the arm toward said upper cylinders and thereby exerts a pressure on the latter by way of said distributing memher, said roller riding off said projection in said inoperative position of the arm and said projection and roller then cooperating to yieldably resist return of said arm to said operative position by said force of the spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,508,964 Naegeli May 23, 1950 2,813,308 Waldrop Nov. 19, 1957 2,862,250 Pusaroli Dec. 2, 1958 2,900,674 North Aug. 25, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 654,895 Great Britain t July 4, 1951 

